Despite their lowly 11-seeded placement in the Eastern Conference standings, rumor has it the Brooklyn Nets (20-29) are looking to serve as buyers ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.
Per Erik Slater of ClutchPoints, not only is the franchise turning down offers involving cornerstone Mikal Bridges but they're actively looking to bolster the talent pool around him for what is hoped to be a second-half playoff push.
Buy-low trade candidates the Brooklyn Nets must pursue at deadline
With less than 48 hours to go till February 8's cut-off, there's really no telling who the ball club could be gunning for on the trade market, though, considering the crop of names rumored to be available, it should go without saying that the Nets should be hesitant to give up a substantial amount of their assets for any of these plausible mid-season additions.
Frankly, in the event that Brooklyn does wind up making a trade, they should be more inclined to try and buy-low on a few less popular players rather than go all-out on other big name targets.
3. Chris Paul
Chris Paul may be an aging veteran who has been sidelined since early January with a fractured left hand, but these two variables present a chance for the Nets to have the upper hand in a possible trade scenario between them and the struggling Golden State Warriors.
A 12-time All-Star and five-time assists champion, the 38-year-old's skill set is one that would greatly benefit the likes of Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton, and former Suns teammate Mikal Bridges on the offensive side of the ball, for they have only proven to thrive when paired with a table-setter running the point.
Starting the night off with a SLAM
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 31, 2023
📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/WSwto1hTbF
Prior to injury, Paul found himself posting impressive averages of 12.7 points, 7.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals on 48.0 percent shooting from the floor and 51.0 percent shooting from deep while serving as a starter for the Warriors, a role he would take on without competition if added to Brooklyn's rotation.
With his return to action projected to come within the next couple of weeks, the Nets could theoretically get him suited up right after the All-Star break and help quarterback this talented yet rather stagnant squad during what is hoped to be a second-half renaissance of sorts as they gun for their sixth-straight postseason berth.
An outbound package involving a few second rounders and (**fingers crossed**) Ben Simmons' contract would not only provide this club with a more reliable floor general but also a $10 million subtraction to their 2024-25 salary situation.